Although Stonehenge is surrounded by mystery and clouded in the
mists of time, there is one practical use of the ancient monument: it is
an astronomical observatory that measures the movements of the sun, the
moon, and perhaps, the stars. The findings of astronomy may not lead us
to the exactitudes of Neolithic life and the construction of the monument
and its origins, but what is clear is that Stonehenge is still a viable
and useful calendar of extreme accuracy. With the use of computers, Stonehenge,
an absolute peak of astronomical genius, might be used as such today.

Moreover, an ancient bronze calendar tablet discovered near Coligny,
France in 1897 believed to be the calendar of the tribe of Celts called
the Sequani, sheds amazing light on the use of stone circles and in particular,
Stonehenge. The astronomy of the ancients is easily understood and made
applicable to today's night sky by understanding the basic principles upon
which the text of the bronze calendar, called The Sequani Calendar, and
Stonehenge is based. Keeping in mind the diversity of the stone circles
of the ancient world and the diversity of the belief systems of Celts, especially
in the myths of each tribe, certain basics of Druidic belief are a simple
and clear beginning to understanding the calendar systems of these ancient
astronomer-priests.

In 1988, Alban Wall published a paper in the Epigraphic Society Occasional
Publications (Vol.17) that summarizes the similarities of Stonehenge and
The Sequani Calendar. According to Wall, both Stonehenge and The Sequani
Calendar are luni-solar, both are based on a 19 year cycle or the Metonic
cycle of the moon, and both have months that basically alternate between
30 and 29 nights. Both can be expanded to 235 months that are divided into
light and dark halves which begin at the first quarter moon. The months,
or as the ancients called them, "moonths" have the full moon marked
on the eighth night of the light half of each lunar cycle and the new moon
as the eighth night of each dark cycle. On The Sequani Calendar, the full
moon is designated as the Oenach or people's holiday and the new moon is
the Druid's Holy Night.

Each marks the solar year holidays at the solstices and the equinoxes
as well as the cross-quarter days the same as they are celebrated in Neo-Pagan
circles today: Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Solstice, May Day, Summer
Solstice, Lugnasad, Fall Equinox, and Samhain. These well-known solar holidays
were easily adapted to the Roman calendar that we use today, but the moonths
were never transferred to our calendar as they involve the precision that
a luni-solar calendar demands in order that each lunar cycle remain one
moonth or month. Stonehenge and The Sequani Calendar, as mentioned above,
both retain the luni-solar months and yearly cycle so that they follow the
moon and the sun with "extremely close reconciliation of lunar with
solar time" (Wall 30). To do this, The Sequani Calendar allows for
an Intercalary Moonth every two years and six months. Both, however, give
special prominence to the solstices.

The year on Stonehenge and The Sequani Calendar is divided into two distinct
halves: a light and a dark half. The light half begins at the Winter Solstice
when the new light of the year begins on December 21st, and the dark half
begins at the Summer Solstice with the disappearing of the longest summer
day on June 21st. In their Winter Solstice Oenach, the new year is celebrated
on the full moon or eighth day of the moonth of the Winter Solstice. Similarly,
the Summer Solstice is celebrated on the mid-point of the lunar cycle of
the Summer Solstice moonth. The holiday celebrated in the dark half indicates
special observance of the Summer Solstice in the darkest part of the moonth
which is the eighth day of the dark half of the moon or the Holy Night of
the new moon. Light is welcomed as the light in the darkness and cold of
winter and darkness is welcomed as the relief from the long summer days.

Alban Wall observes that both Stonehenge and The Sequani Calendar differ
from most other luni-solar calendars in their special prominence given to
the solstices, their amazing accuracy of the reconciliation of lunar with
solar time, and their division of the year into two halves with their year
beginning on the Winter Solstice. Moreover, both calendars differ from all
other luni-solar calendar systems relative to the marking of the special
days of the moon in each moonth such as the beginning of the moonth as the
first quarter or sixth day of the waxing moon, the full moon on the eighth
night of the first half of the moonth and the new moon of the eighth night
of the dark half of the moonth. They also differ from all other calendars
as to their marking of the Winter and Summer Solstices.

Wall remarks that "It is highly significant that no lunar calendar
other than the Coligny system, anywhere in the world or at any time in history,
began its months at the first quarter moon- except the one embodied in the
stones and holes of Stonehenge" (32). In the first century B.C., the
historian Diodorus Siculus remarked that in the regions beyond the lands
of the Gauls, there lies an island where the moon god visits every nineteen
years, "the period in which the return of the stars to the same place
in the heavens is accomplished; and for this reason the nineteen year period
is called by the Greeks 'the year of Meton.' " Here, states Siculus,
is a "notable temple which is spherical in shape" (quoted in Wall
32).

The fact that Stonehenge and The Sequani Calendar alone begin their moonths
on the sixth day of the moon and that the island culture referred to by
Siculus in his description of Stonehenge uses the Metonic cycle of the moon
is strong evidence to correlate these highly developed systems of calendars
which might have taken eons to develop and perfect. Siculus' statement as
to the genius of the accomplishment that marks the stars returning to the
same place in the heavens in the Metonic cycle might draw another important
parallel between Stonehenge and The Sequani Calendar: if the stars are measured
on The Sequani Calendar would it not then be highly possible for the stars
to be marked by Stonehenge? Why wouldn't a group of highly educated astronomers
and creators of a calendar system in stone and bronze include a map of the
stars in their calculations of the cycles of the moon and the sun in their
stone circles?

Wall has designated that the outer circle of Stonehenge, or what he calls
the "Sun Circle," is used to count the days in the year by advancing
a marker stone two holes each day, probably at Sunrise and Sunset in the
ceremonies of the Celts. This circle gives a total of the days of the solar
year if done thirteen times to equal 364 days. The next two inner circles
of Stonehenge, traditionally called the "Y" and "Z"
holes designate the lunar moonths by advancing one hole each day, first
around the "Y" circle, then around the "Z" circle. Wall
calls these the "Lunar Circles." The next inner circle, The Sarsen
Stones, symbolizes the 29.5 nights of the moonth, one megalith being half
size. The magnificent Trilithon horseshoe represents the phases of the moon,
and the Year Dial of stones within them is used to count the nineteen year
cycle of 235 months. Where then could the stars be measured on this ancient
calendar?

A group of researchers including Helen Benigni, Eadhmonn Ua Cuinn and Barbara
Carter, have translated the original reconstruction of the calendar found
in the headwaters of the Seine at Coligny. Using the reconstruction of the
bronze tablets done by Eoin MacNeill for the Royal Irish Academy in 1926,
our group translated the calendar by silk-screening concentric circles to
represent each moonth of the first year. Using computers to translate the
astronomy into the year 2001, Barbara, our astronomer, was able to identify
the stars, the moons and the sun marked in the ancient text.

Eadhmonn, a master stone-carver and artist, and a crew of graphic artists,
including Mark Butervaugh, designed the Celtic circles for each month, and
I researched the goddesses and gods that told the story of the stars, the
moon and the sun from their Iron Age references to their Neolithic roots
using my training in comparative mythology.

As we move through the second year of the calendar for reproduction for
the public, we are gaining a keener awareness of the stars presented in
the text. The Sequani Calendar marks a star of primary magnitude at the
beginning of each moonth designated as the PRIN. These twelve primary stars
appear on the Eastern Horizon shortly after sunset when the moon is a first
quarter moon in its sixth day of waxing, the first day of each moonth for
the Celts. They are easy to identify as they are the brightest in the night
sky and appear first to the naked eye. The constellations of these stars
are deities of the Celts, and as they travel the night sky through the seasons,
their stories are told. In turn, groups of constellations in each season
tell the stories of the seasons of the year.

Although the year is a circle without beginning or end, the beginning
of the light half of the year appears at the Winter Solstice in the first
lunar cycle of the year called Samonios. The PRIN, or first magnitude star
to guide us on the first quarter moon, is the twin stars of Castor and Pollux,
the Divine Twins of both Greek and Celtic mythology. In Celtic mythology,
the twins symbolize a strong birth, a single birth from one egg containing
mortal and immortal life. Twins such as Fiachra and Conn in the Irish tale
of the "Fate of the Children of Lir" and Nissyen and Evnissyen
in the Welsh Mabinogion exemplify the Divine Twins. In the second moonth,
Dumannios, the guiding star or PRIN is Sirius and in the third moonth, Rivros,
it is Regulus. Both these stars as well as Orion are representatives of
the Great Goddess of the Winter Sky: Brigantia in Britain, Brigit, in Ireland,
Brighid in Wales, and Brigantu in Gaul. Brigit is a goddess known for nurturing
new life. In the fourth and fifth lunar cycles of the year, the moonths
containing the Spring Equinox, the gods of sacrifice, Esus, Teutates, and
Taranis are represented in the PRIN of Anagantios which is Arcturus, a reddish-orange
star that signals a time of blood-letting and self-sacrifice. Known cross-culturally
as The Dying Gods, these deities exemplify that self-sacrifice is the highest
form of love. In Ogronios, the fifth lunar cycle, the rising star of Vega
denotes resurrection. Vega is the first star of the Summer Triangle, a symbol
not only of resurrection or of the Vulture and Raven appearing in the heavens
in flight, but of the coming of the Great Mother Goddess of the summer,
the Mistress of Birds, Water and of the Earth.

The next two lunar cycles of the year, Cutios and Giamonios, the sixth
and seventh moonths, complete the Summer Triangle with their primary stars
of Deneb and Altair, respectively. Cutios, whose PRIN is Deneb, in Cygnus
the Swan, is a month for celebrating the gift of the waters of life as represented
in Sequana of the Seine River and namesake of the Sequani; Boann, goddess
of the River Boyne in Ireland; or Danu of the Danube in central Europe.
Like the Raven goddesses, the water-bird goddesses are one aspect of a Triskele
of Goddesses that make up the Great Mother Goddess of the Neolithic tribes
represented in the night sky as the Summer Triangle. Giamonios, the moonth
of the Summer Solstice, whose PRIN is Altair, is the another bird aspect
of the goddess. Altair is most closely associated with Lugh, the eagle,
who is the son of Tailtiu, the goddess of the earth. With the Summer Triangle
complete, the Triskele reaches its full power.

In Simivisonnios, the eight lunar cycle, the constellation of The Plough
is upright signaling the month of the first harvest of fruits and vegetables.
Altair is still the guiding star of primary magnitude and Tailtiu is the
goddess who declares Lugnasad be in honor of her son, Lugh. Marriage contracts
are renewed or dispelled, fruits of labor are shared, and feats of physical
prowess and gamesmanship become displays of a productive life. Lugh, symbol
of the mastering of life, is an all-wise deity, guarding our fruits of labor.
Likewise, in the month of Equos, following Simivisonnios, the gaming and
horse-racing so important to the concept of the Divine Horse in Celtic mythology
continues. The PRIN of Equos is Equuleus representative of Epona, the horse
goddess. Known also as Macha in Ireland and Rhiannon in Wales, the horse
goddess is a symbol of independent strength, prowess, and physical challenge.
In the Otherworld of the Celts, horse-racing, feasting, and other such pursuits
represent the ultimate peace and stability that attention to Epona brings
us.

The last season of the year, the Fall, is perhaps the most derivative
of ancient ritual and therefore often considered the beginning of the year
by Neo-Pagan cults today. The ancient rituals of the Neolithic tribes at
the onset of winter are clearly retained in the rituals of the Sacred Calendar
of Eleusis for the Greeks and in The Sequani Calendar for the Celts. The
PRIN marked on The Sequani Calendar for the ninth moonth of the year, Elembivios,
is Capella, keeper of livestock and guardian of wealth, and the guiding
constellation for the last two moonths, Edrinios and Cantlos, is the river
in the sky, Erindanus. The rituals of the ancients involve the high priest,
or what the Indo-Europeans called the "pont-dheh-ker," who is
responsible as a transgressor of souls into the otherworld of death and
winter as well as a guardian of the wealth of the tribe; that wealth must
be blessed and stored for the winter as the seeds were originally stored
by the ancient tribes of Europe and the Mediterranean.

In Celtic mythology, this ancient high-priest of the forests and all important
deity of the tribes is known as Cernunnos. As the ecliptic has moved from
South to North in the night sky, the PRIN, or guiding star of the month,
Capella, appears on the Eastern Horizon on the sixth day of the waxing moon
to guide us through Elembivios with the protection, vision, and spiritual
strength of Cernunnos. Cernunnos accompanies us through the onset of winter.
In the moonth of Edrinios, he crosses the river in the sky, Erindanus as
the Milky Way meets with the elliptic. To the ancients, crossing the river
symbolizes the crossing from one realm into another, from life to death,
and in this case, from fall to winter. As seen in the hero's journey in
the mythology of several cultures, the river acts as a medium of transfer
from one spiritual plane to another.

We arrive through long dark nights of winter to begin the cycle of life
again with the celebration of the entrance of the Winter Solstice light.
As a full and strong beam of light crosses the threshold of the great mound
at Newgrange and the Winter Solstice light is welcomed into the circle of
stones at Stonehenge, we rejoice in another completion of the great cycle
of the year. The mastery of the solar light, the careful calculation to
keep each moonth following the moon's varying course, and the identification
of each primary star in a moonth gives us a sense of time and sense about
how our ancestors grasped for some identifiable part of eternity by bringing
the heavens down to earth. Their and our participation in the celestial
will only broaden our understanding of the infinite. Might we now begin
our journey through time to re-capture this wonderful sense of the infinite
by tracing the stars on Stonehenge?

The Months of the Sequani Calendar

Collect back your time. It is measured here by the Sun, the Moon and
the stars. Look to the East about one and a half hours after sunset. You
will see stars of primary magnitude (very bright). These stars will guide
you through the hours of the nights and the moons or months of the year.
Count the days around the primary phases of the Moon and you will find the
natural weeks. Celebrate the Sun and Moon on the Oenachs with as many people
as you can. Mercury and Venus are always very close to the Sun. Where they
are noted, you will find them very close to the horizon at sunset or sunrise.
Enjoy your time.

Our book, The Myth of the Year reveals the astronomy underlying Celtic
and Greek mythology using the calendar of the Druids discovered in Coligny,
France and the Sacred Calendar of Eleusis of ancient Greece. Our second
book, The Goddess and the Bull: A Study in Minoan-Mycenaean Mythology is
a study of the archetype of the nineteen year cycle of The Goddess and the
Bull, and Finally our third book The Mythology of Venus: Ancient Calendars
and Archaeoastronomy. For orders and information please contact the publisher,
University Press of America, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Lanham,
Maryland, 20706 USA 1-301-459-3366 https://rowman.com/Action/Search/RLPG/helen%20benigni

The month of Samonios is a month of miraculous births beginning with
the appearance of the twin stars of Castor and Pollux on the Eastern Horizon.
These miraculously born twins, from an egg containing both mortal and immortal
potential, bridge the gap between this world and the Otherworld with their
appearance on the first quarter moon heralding the Holy Nights of Winter
Solstice. Further into the month shortly after the third quarter of the
moon, a trio of stars including Rigel, Betelguese, and Castor march across
the sky to illuminate this Oenach of light and birth.
Literally translated as "seed fall," SAMONIOS is the month when
the light of the Dagda, the seed of his loins, penetrates the womb of the
earth and creates life. This light is symbolized by the sunrise of the Winter
Solstice penetrating the inner chambers of the sacred mounds of the Neolithic
peoples. At Newgrange, the sacred mound of the Bru na Boinne, the light
of the Winter Solstice shines through a roof-box of white quartz for seventeen
minutes to dramatically illuminate the cruciform chamber of the passage
tomb. Here, the stone-carved geometric motifs common to trance states of
shamanic ecstasy amplify the light in order that the observer may experience
the light of life bestowed by the solar deity.

This solar alignment initiates the light half of the year. Mistletoe
is hung as a symbol of the immortal love that the good father, Dagda brought
to Boand, the goddess of the Bru na Boinne. Oengus, the son of their union
and the Lord of the Sid mound, guards the entrance to the Otherworld and
immortal life.

MAT

The +// /+/ //+ are fully translated. They note the passage of the Moon
and/or Sun over the intersections of the galactic equator and the ecliptic,
or the same over the intersection of the celestial equator and the ecliptic.
These are noted as GE+E and CE+E.

DVMANNIOS

Dvmannios begins as Sirius rises on the eastern horizon with the appearance
of the first quarter moon and Regulus follows as the guiding star of primary
magnitude of the month. Seven days after the full moon of DVMANNIOS, mid-winter
holy nights begin with celebration of Imbolg. The celebration of the mid-winter
centers on Brigantu, the Celtic goddess of Gaul later known as Brigantia
in Britain and Brigit in Ireland.

Brigantu, "the Exalted One," is the guardian spirit of mid-winter
light. She is responsible for kindling inspiration and igniting the well-spring
of human thought like a single flame preventing darkness. Her territory
is the human spirit as she carefully tends the fire of poetic truth and
art. Moreover, she is the healer of the dark, winter night of the soul.
A single flame symbolizes her enduring light in the mid-winter darkness
and her holy nights are marked by burning a single candle.

Brigantu's healing powers enrich her tapestry of abilities to invoke
the human spirit to creativity by combining fire with water. Here, as goddess
of the spring and wells of the earth, she endears her powers of healing
upon us even more powerfully than before. She appears in her virgin aspect,
often with nine nymphs who guard her sacred wells, to admonish our fears
of losing the healing waters of life. Nourished by the milk of sacred white
cows and born of the Father God, the Dagda, Brigantu herself is capable
of merging fire with water. As small animals are brought inside to the hearth
fires and ewes begin to give milk to their young, Brigantu guides us through
the cold winter of earth by symbolizing the fire and water needed to nourish
the human soul. ANM

DVMANNIOS

Dvmannios begins as Sirius rises on the eastern horizon with the appearance
of the first quarter moon and Regulus follows as the guiding star of primary
magnitude of the month. Seven days after the full moon of DVMANNIOS, mid-winter
holy nights begin with celebration of Imbolg. The celebration of the mid-winter
centers on Brigantu, the Celtic goddess of Gaul later known as Brigantia
in Britain and Brigit in Ireland.

Brigantu, "the Exalted One," is the guardian spirit of mid-winter
light. She is responsible for kindling inspiration and igniting the well-spring
of human thought like a single flame preventing darkness. Her territory
is the human spirit as she carefully tends the fire of poetic truth and
art. Moreover, she is the healer of the dark, winter night of the soul.
A single flame symbolizes her enduring light in the mid-winter darkness
and her holy nights are marked by burning a single candle.

Brigantu's healing powers enrich her tapestry of abilities to invoke
the human spirit to creativity by combining fire with water. Here, as goddess
of the spring and wells of the earth, she endears her powers of healing
upon us even more powerfully than before. She appears in her virgin aspect,
often with nine nymphs who guard her sacred wells, to admonish our fears
of losing the healing waters of life. Nourished by the milk of sacred white
cows and born of the Father God, the Dagda, Brigantu herself is capable
of merging fire with water. As small animals are brought inside to the hearth
fires and ewes begin to give milk to their young, Brigantu guides us through
the cold winter of earth by symbolizing the fire and water needed to nourish
the human soul. ANM

RIVROS

In the Celtic Calendar, Rivros is a precarious and often dangerous time.
Lodged between the sacred nights of Imbolc and the Vernal Equinox, its primary
guiding star is Regulus. The figure most prominent in mythology associated
with both the weaving of fate and impending doom is the Morrigan, a triple
goddess of Celtic mythology. For this reason, we focus on the powers of
the Morrigan during RIVROS to be both aware and resistant to her supernatural
influence.

The root belief in the force of the Morrigan comes from the bird and
snake goddesses of Neolithic times. She is a primal fear of the unknown
powers of the regeneration of violence inherent in our beings. She is, therefore,
sexually attractive and deadly. Most important, she is able to shape-change
into succinct forms as to be the least recognizable to our inner eye.

The Morrigan is one of a triskele of war goddesses whose insatiable hunger
for human carnage is temporarily satisfied when she shape-changes into a
raven or crow to devour the defeated on the battlefield. In this aspect,
she is called Badb Catha, the Battle Raven . The victor of battle will always
be the man or woman who flies with the raven.

As the Morrigan is nourished with blood, she is associated with the breaking
of the hymen, menstruation, and childbirth. Her powers are those of persuasion
and magic rather than physical prowess, and her allure is feminine and sexual.
According to legend, she will appear to those willing to engage in violence
or conflict as a stunning, red-haired woman in a cloak of multi-colors
.
The Morrigan is as ancient and powerful as human memory and her appearance
is an indication to be conscious of the thunder within. MAT

ANAGANTIOS

Anagantios perhaps more than any other month of the Celtic calendar is
a month centering on the Holy Nights. The word "anagantios" can
be translated to mean "stay home time" inferring that the people's
Oenach is a quiet celebration on the full moon and the Holy Nights that
are marked by a cross, and therefore of great importance, are the Holy Nights
of the Vernal Equinox on the waning moon and the new moon, a time to turn
inward for contemplation and renewal of spirit. The star of Arcturus, which
bears a reddish-orange color, is rising on the Eastern Horizon to mark the
beginning of the month, and its hue signals a time of blood letting and
self-sacrifice. Quiet contemplation, renewal of spirit and self-sacrifice
characterize the month. ANAGANTIOS is the time for sacrifice and OGRONIOS,
the following month, is the time for resurrection.

Self-sacrifice is the highest form of love. In Celtic mythology, the
Gaulish gods of sacrifice are the triune of Esus, Taranis, and Teutantes.
Each represents an element of sacrifice that one person makes for the rest.
Esus is a woodcutter deity associated with the felling of trees such as
the willow. In his iconography, he is accompanied by egrets, the sacred
healing birds of the elderly and sick. It is most likely that Esus is the
deity that accepted the elderly, the dying, and the sick and relieved their
pain if they offered themselves as sacrifices for the tribe in times of
need. He severs the sacrificed from the tribe as he severs the branch from
the tree allowing them to pass to the Otherworld as free bird-spirits. Taranis
is the thunder god who transfers the souls of those sacrificed in battle
and those captured in war, and Teutantes is the god of the people, the true
tribal father who takes care of all others sacrificed for the tribe. ANM

OGRONIOS

The month of Ogronios begins with the rising star of Vega on the eastern
horizon and the star of Polaris clearly in view. Polaris, the North Star,
is a point of ascension for the rising soul to enter the spiritual realm
of apotheosis--the state of oneness free in the cosmos. In the Celtic calendar,
the Tree, or world axis, is the medium for the souls ascension and
the fires of Beltain are the medium for its purification. Beltain, like
Samhuin, is an eve when the doors of the Otherworld are open and souls transgress.

The Tree erected at Beltain is the Celtic symbol of tribal cohesiveness;
it is the center of life and its vegetative spirit is worshipped as the
phallus. The bile, or sacred tree of toreutic tradition, symbolizes the
material body ready to give rise to its soul. Sacrifice and prayer are conducted
at the foot of the celestial column and direct communication with the spiritual
planes are accessed on this axis. The ecstatic mystical experience is achieved
through the realization of perennial fecundity.

The passage on the Tree of Life is accompanied by the fires of Beltain.
Belenus, the shining Celtic god of fire, is the source of purification for
both livestock and humans. The need-fires of Beltain are kindled in order
that the material soul give rise to the sun soul or spirit of fire, Belenus.
Two fires, the double helix of Beltain, symbolize the sunset and the sunrise,
yesterday and today. We pass through them to our heart-soul, our higher
solar self. In essence, we say to ourselves: We have the power to
ascend the world body to the higher self . Solar energy is ours and
the season of light begins.

This ancient festival guides us in this season of renewal and resurrection
and Belenus, the spirit ancestor of fire becomes our divine fire within.
MAT

CVTIOS

The importance of springs, wells, lakes and rivers in the Celtic Calendar
is most poignant in the month of Cvtios. Planting time begins when the primary
star of Deneb, the Swan, in the Milky Way joins Vega on the eastern horizon.
It is a time to concentrate on the fertile, life giving water of divine
origin. The veneration of the sacred sources of water is expressed through
the worship of Boand, mother goddess of the River Boyne.

Boand is the most dominant goddess of the Celtic water-nymphs and goddesses
who inherit the power to protect and nourish life by protecting its source.
She is a sacred mother and like the Gaulish Divine Matrona, her supernatural
forces are strength and fertility. Her clear, placid-blue waters evoke a
gentle aspect of femininity and her sexual liaisons with the father god
infer a peaceful, maternal sensuality. Lakes are also a sacred dwelling
place of divine origin for Boand and her kindred spirits.

The goddess is most often depicted wearing a full-length pleated garment
with a crown of stylized foliage. She holds an aquatic plant, a vessel from
which water is pouring, or she is reclining on water weeds. With her are
her sacred cows, divine white creatures with red ears. Like Boand, her heifers
emanate fertility and maternity.

In a time of planting and plowing the earth to make ready for seeds,
Boands influence is imperative as she draws our attention to the life
sources of water, the cult of the sacred spring and the demarcation and
boundaries that make ready the earth to support life. A territorial and
protective goddess, She of the White Cattle will guide us to
nourish and respect the clarity of life. MAT

OGMIOS

The Intercalary Moon of the calendar is included before the Winter or
the Summer Solstice as a time collected by the Druid astronomers for the
people in order that their calendar balances the lunar and solar cycles.
Every two and one half years, in order to justify the difference between
the 365 days of the solar year and the 355 days of the lunar year, the Druids
add an intercalary moon alternately before each solstice. The nights of
the Intercalary Moon represent, in their respective order, each moon throughout
the year. In a sense, it is a bringing together of lunar time to balance
solar power.

Ogmios the Gaulish cognate of the Irish Ogma and the British Omia, is
the god of eloquence, poetry, literature and learning. Because of the similarity
of his name to the other Gaulish months of the calendar and his identification
as a solar deity leading others into wisdom and unity, he is chosen to represent
the Intercalary Moon. He is the son of ancient wisdom that balances solar
and lunar time by enticing lunar deities, captivated and chained by gold
and amber strands to his tongue, to follow his leadership. Keeping the moon
faces behind him tied lavishly to his own being, his strength and shining
heroics remind us that he is descended from the Sol Invictus or Solar Wheel
of the Indo-European Divinities.

In Scots-Gaelic, Ogmios means "young month." And indeed, as
a young god, Ogmios is all-powerful. On the coins of the Armorican tribes
of ancient Gaul, an Ogmios figure is depicted with radiant curls for hair
as rays of the sun. Accompanied by the lyre and the boar, both symbols of
the year, from his mouth emanate beaded strands with small heads or moons
attached. As a translator of ancient wisdom, Ogma of the Tuatha De Danaan
of Ireland is the inventor of Ogham, the sacred script of the Druids. He
rules from the Sidhe mound of Airceltrai as a champion druid and warrior
like his successors, Cu Chulainn and Bran, inventors of their own Ogham.

Perhaps, his most important role, and his most spiritual role is one
similar to Hermes and Hercules in Greek mythology. As hermes, he is a transgressor
of souls and path-maker to the goddesses and gods, as Hercules, he is the
hero who travels through the constellations of the night sky traversing
the years. Ogmios guides us to higher knowledge by represneting time beyond
the year. His moon is a time to contemplate the genius of bringing together
lunar and solar energy to transcend our yearly cycle into the spirals of
the precession through the stars, the moon and sun as they move toward eternity.

GIAMONIOS

Altair, the brightest star in the constellation of the eagle, flies high
in the month of Giamonios as it joins Deneb and Vega to form the Summer
Triangle. When the Summer Triangle dominates the heavens, the full power
of the suns rays are felt in the Summer Solstice and the forests are
abundant. The intoxication of the earth and its riches are apparent in emerald
splendor and the celebration of summer begins with the nine Holy Nights
of Summer.

Midsummer fires are kindled to the solar deities, Belenus and Lugh, and
the wealth of midsummer forest life is complemented by the spiritual enlightenment
of the solar deities. The message is one of both appreciation for the abundance
of physical and spiritual life. While the life on earth is in full bloom,
we kindle fires to everlasting life on earth and in the Otherworld. Lugh,
a solar deity, flies into the highest branches of the sacred oak as a spirit
messenger of immortality and strength. Like the real eagle, Lugh, the mythological
representative, is held in great awe when he leaves the oak and soars directly
into the sun's rays absorbing the solstice energy. As a soul in bird form
, he transforms his austere beauty and power into spiritual energy.

GIAMONIOS is also one of the sacred times the Druids harvest the mistletoe.
In this month, the Druids cherish the sacred right to the earths powers.
The mistletoe is collected from the oak boughs in great ceremony because
the strength of the mistletoe is at its full height at this time of the
summer. The mistletoe, like the midsummer fire, is a symbol of immortality.
It is an evergreen that is placed in the grave of the Celtic peoples as
a symbol of spiritual transformation and mystic beauty. ANM

SIMIVISONN

When the constellation of The Plough is upright, a position indicating
that it is no longer in use, the month of the first fruits and harvest begins.

Simivisonn initiates the celebration of the earth as fruit-bearing mother.
The labors of fishing, stock-tending, hay saving , berry-picking and vegetable
harvesting mark the advent of the season when the Celtic earth goddess is
worshipped. The goddess becomes the sovereign of the land.

Tailtiu, goddess of these seasonal feasts, embodies the magical powers
of the female as the divine mother and patron of agriculture. Oenachs or
fairs are held on the mounds of earth where she resides and great assemblies
of trade and agriculture mark her festivities. Born of Maghmor, the Father
God of the Great Plain, she toils to clear the woodlands for farming. A
descendant of the Neolithic vegetation goddesses, she presides over a land
of plenty.

In a mythological battle symbolizing the incorporation of a new age of
Bronze and Iron that superceded the agricultural age of the Mother-Goddess,
Tailtiu is aided by her foster-son, Lugh. When Lugh and the Tuatha de Danaan
defeat the ancient deities Tailtius power is retained and respected
by her son who declares that the Calends of August be commemorated to the
goddess in his name as the festival of Lugnasad.

Lugnasad, the festival of SIMIVISONN, is celebrated by balancing life-accounts
in the personal sphere. Marriage contracts are renewed or dispelled, fruits
of labor are shared, and feats of physical prowess and gamesmanship become
displays of a productive life. Lugh, symbol of the mastering of life, is
an all-wise deity guarding our fruits of labor. His intellectual capacities,
his wisdom and knowledge, and his youthful demeanor assure us of the inner
peace that comes with productive endeavors. As guardian of the Earth Mother,
Lugh reminds us to respect the source of a bountiful life. MAT

EQVOS

Eqvos is a month devoted to the horse goddess of Celtic mythology: Epona.
As Eqvos falls after the feasts of Lugnasad, where horse races and demonstrations
of physical feats were practiced, a fitting tribute to the horse follows
when the rising constellation of Pegasus is seen on the Eastern Horizon.
Equuleus, another constellation of antiquity, rises with Pegasus and complements
the theme of the prominence of the horse goddess as a symbol of independent
strength, sensuality, and prowess.

Epona belongs to a long-standing tradition of Celtic horse goddesses
who reach back as far as three thousand years ago. In ancient Gaul, her
consort is a young warrior and she is often associated with sensual pleasure
and physical challenge. She wears a short- sleeved, draped garment, carries
a bird on her shoulder, and rides side-saddle on a white mare. In our imagination,
she represents distinguished bravery and extraordinary ability.

In the Otherworld, horse-racing, feasting, and other such pursuits symbolize
the ultimate peace and stability that attention to Epona brings us. By reining
the equine power, we celebrate a delicate balance of controlled strength
and independence. The freedom of the horse is channeled by Epona's gentle
tactics and love of spirit. It is no wonder that her name means "Divine
Horse." ANM

ELEMBIVIOS

Elembivios begins the darkest quarter of the year as the nights grow
longer and the days shorter. Holy nights of the Autumnal Equinox are celebrated
and the star of primary magnitude that appears on the Eastern Horizon to
mark ELEMBIVIOS is Capella, the keeper of livestock. This time is literally
known as "claim time" to the Celts. It is a time to assess property
and wealth and use it judiciously throughout the winter. Cernunnos, the
antlered stag-god, a dispenser of prosperity offers his wisdom and prowess,
his strength and masculine powers, fecund and immortalizing as a guide through
the onset of winter.

Cernunnos, in his animal aspect, is a protector of the stag and the bull,
both symbols of material wealth and prosperity. As lord of the hunt and
keeper of animals, Cernunnos controls the stag and the bull respectively.
Beasts bow their heads in obeisance to his horned, black image and humans
look to him for guidance n controlling the wealth he has amassed. Often
portrayed in a Buddhic sitting position, antlered and solemn, Cernunnos
acts as a spiritual guide to the onset of darkness.

Cernunnos, in his warrior aspect, is able to conquer darkness in the
form of the serpent, a symbol of the chthonic regions of the Otherworld.
In one hand, Cernunnos firmly grasps the ram-headed serpent of darkness
and in the other, he holds a torc, symbol of immortality. He conquers the
fear of stored wealth or underground treasure that the serpent guards like
a dragon guarding its hoard. Men who are not able, like Cernunnos, to control
their wealth are at the mercy of the serpent. Cernunnos, divine ancestor,
conquering god of the chthonic worlds, balances, like the balanced light
of the Equinox, the power between this world and the Otherworld. ANM

EDRINIOS

The month of Edrinios is the darkest month of the calendar. In the beginning
of the month, there is no guiding light; there is an absence of a star of
primary magnitude. However, the constellation of Eridanus is rising on the
Eastern Horizon when the first quarter moon has peaked in its phase. Edrinios,
the River in the Sky, is our guide and the Milky Way, the Heavenly River,
complements Eridanus. Both rivers are highly visible and act as sacred paths
for the warrior's journey. The month of Edrinios is a time of preparation
and arbitration for the soul. We are challenged, as the great demi-gods
of Celtic mythology are challenged, to follow the river in the hero's journey
to our spiritual strength and center.

The motif of the hero's journey down the river of life is a preparation
for the oncoming Oenach of the Warrior's Samhuin at the end of the Month
of Edrinios. This, in turn, is a preparation for the Druid's Samhuin at
the end Cantlos where the ancestors, the Sidhe, walk the earth. In order
for the warrior to confront the own fears and his own death. Spiritually,
we prepare ourselves, as heroes, to face our nemesis, then we are able to
face death in a larger context. In an agricultural sense, we face the coming
of winter by preparing our winter quarters, bringing in the animals from
the fields, and putting up the seed, then we face the bitter cold, darkness,
and death of winter itself.

Cu Chulainn, the greatest of Celtic heroes, is challenged to fight his
battles at the ford of the river in Cuailnge. He is our symbol of heroic
bravery in the confrontation of his nemesis. At the ford, Cu Chulainn must
battle the war goddess, the Morrigan, kill his friend, Ferdiad, and witness
his own death by the Badb who stains the water red as a signal of his blood
to be shed. Like the Gaulish raven-goddess, Nantotsuelta or "Winding
River," the Morrigan and the Badv are goddesses that challenge and
heal the hero. The river becomes a feminine source of both courage and survival.
MAT

CANTLOS

Cantlos literally called "song time," is the month of the Celtic
Calendar when the summer constellations are replaced by the winter constellations
and the guiding stars of winter: Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, and Rigel. The last
visible star of the summer constellations, Deneb, the Swan of the Summer
Triangle, is the symbol of transformation into the darkness of winter. Likewise,
the swan drawn chariots of the solar deities in Celtic mythology are symbols
of metamorphosis in the journey to the Otherworld. A triune of solar deities
drawn by swans with gold and silver chains heralds the journey across the
night sky into the setting sun of the Otherworld accompanied by the swan's
magical song.

Foremost in that triune of solar deities is Samhuin, the brother of Goibhniu
and Cian, all three sons of Dian Cecht, the Celtic god of medicine. Samhuin,
like his father and brothers, belongs to a solar cult of healing and magic
that forges materials from fire or solar energy. Fires extinguished at sunset
on Samhuin, the Holy Night of the solar deity, are rekindled by Druids,
most famous of those being Mog Ruith, who in the white-speckled head dress
of the bird, lights the ceremonial fires at sunrise.

The journey to the Otherworld culminates at the lakeside or the cave's
entrance, the opening to the Otherworld. Most notable of these are the Loch
Bel Dracon and the Cave at Cruachan in Ireland. At the Samhuin, a procession
of the ancestors emerges from these Otherworld entrances and crosses the
sacred paths on the earth. The parade of spirits from the land of enchantment
is visible as the thin veil that separates this world from the Otherworld
is temporarily lifted.

When the host of spirits returns to the Otherworld and the solar deities
recede into the winter darkness, the new year is heralded by that link or
opening between two worlds most appropriately symbolized by the silver and
gold chains that bind the swans in pairs, one bird of this world and one
of the Otherworld, messengers of the gods to remind us that the natural
and spiritual worlds are connected by those fragile links. ANM